Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-12-01
THE UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE.
Report Of q Committee Of the Phil0-
sOphical Society on vOlapak.

A committee OF the American Philosophical 50
ciety was appointed last october TO examine into
the scientific value OF volapuk, the new universal
language, and the report will be submitted at the
meeting OF the society tomorrow. In the vastly
increased rapidly OF Interchange Of thought in
modern times the report says that some general
medium OF INSTRUMENTATION would be wei
come Is u questioned. Wherever there are close
commercial relations between nations speaking
different tongues such media are sure to arise
from the necessities OF daily life. Thus the
Lingua Franco In the Mediterranean and "pigeon
English" In the Chinese ports are dialects which
have sprung out ef the urgency OF business needs.
These mixed languages are called "1argons" and
have very high interest TO the scientific linguist,
as Illustrating the principles OF the evolution OF
human speech The English language IL 1argon
OF marked type, and illustrates what was stated
by w. Won Humboldt early 10 this century, that
from such crossings and minglings Of tongues are
developed the most sinewy and picturesque ex-
amples OF human language. This consideration
shows that In adopting or framing a universal
language we need not hesitate TO mold tt from
quite diverse linguistic sources
The presence OF q number Of these jargons In
different parts OF the world testies to the neces-
sity for some one simple form OF discourse which
could be OF general adoption. Another and higher
ties imony to the same effect Is the need now fire.
gIen1y aho ,h Loudly ss esPresse9 Ior uniform ter
been urged, both In this country and In Europe,
that the neologisms new terms) required by the
sciences be derived, according 10 a uniform plan,
from the Greek and that those heretofore obtained
from Greek or Latin be brought into one general
form. There Is no practical difficulty about this,
except tn Z which arises from the Chauvtnism OF
some nations which are blinded by egotism or
narrow notions TO the welfare OF the whole. No
where is this Chauvinism more manifest than In
Germany, a country once noted for It's cosmopoli-
tan sympathies Its medical teachers, Tor exam
pie have OF late studiously dismissed the terms OF
their science derived from the Latin and Greek, In
order TO substitute In their place long, awkward,
and nharmonious Teutonic compounds. No EFFORT
at a uniform international scientific Technology
can be successful II the learned In each nation be
governed by national prep0ssesstonS.
The commercial and travelling world demands
one tongue only, In addition, OF course, to that
which It's members learn In infancy, tongue ia
Gle 10 acquire, and adaptable to their peculiar
wants. The time Is not far on when one system
OF weights, m assures, and coinage one division OF
time, one plan OF electrical measurement, one code
Of International law, one mode OF quarantine
and santa alton, one costume, will prevail
throughout the civilized world, and along with
this unincation OF action must and will come
unirication OF speech. IL Is not only desirable, 1t
Is certain to arrive and as beings OF intelligent
selfconsciousness looking before as well as after,
IL becomes to employ our faculties TO direct the
course OF events so that this one universal Ian
guage be not left to blind chance, but be framed
and adopted OF deliberate choice and with wtsest
consideration